Overwhelmed, disappointed, confused

[Iwilladmit]

I need advice.
we’ve been having some work done- all cosmetic and it’s been traumatic! The dust, poor workmanship, people not fixing mistakes, etc
We've now found out we need major structural work going due to rising damp. It’ll cost a fortune and be a remortgage job but I’m so overwhelmed. This is a much bigger job that what we’ve just done which went badly.
I want to get someone to deal with it all and take responsibility for the final results. Is that a thing? Any advice at all would be welcomed.

Why would you need structural work from rising damp?

It must have been really bad for a really long time to have got severe enough to rot through beams etc...

Have you tried a dehumidifier, I know it sounds like its not worth bothering with but more often than not it either fixes or greatly reduces the issue.

We found damp after we moved, it was really bad and the dehumidifier has fixed it by at least 50%. Smaller patches are completely gone and larger patches are still actively drying out more by the day. It was actually the damp proof companies suggestion to try it before the committed to hacking down all the plaster, we thought it was too far gone for a dehumidifier to work but it is working.

Rising damp is often what people say the issue is when they find damp somewhere when actually it is more to do with leaky gutters or a leaking pipe. If you can post some pics there might be a relatively quick cheap fix for the issue?

I don't understand this. The damp would have to be really bad to affect the structure.

I found out doing up my favourite house and this one you find all sorts whenever you do any work. Whilst replacing my kitchen I found out that a patch didn't have a damp proof course.

Maybe get Dampco out to have a look?

Where is the damp OP

Be very wary. I was selling my home sometime ago, the survey came back that there was moisture found. The buyer had a damp survey done. The company claimed that over £5k of work needed doing to fix it. I happened to mention this to a tradesman we knew, he gave us the details of another man who came and found no damp of concern. There was an area that needed repointing and would dry out. We pulled out of the sale as the buyers wanted a reduction. We put it on the market again recently and sold again, survey done by a different company.....no damp found anywhere.

That’s exactly why I was asking where the damp is
Sometimes it’s no more than cutting back planting away from external walls on the outside
Sometimes it’s simply a ventilation issue

Part of the house is built on / using original walls from an old cottage which itself was built in the late 1800s. We’ve had a proper damp surveyor out and they drilled small holes into the walls to take proper readings. We have to get back to the underlying brick / stonework on walls in 6 rooms downstairs and then there’s some options given of next steps.
The options include things replaced the mortar with another type that it water resistant, re-boarding the walls with waterproof plaster board, etc. It also recommends installing vents / fans in most rooms upstairs and downstairs. Apologies if that is technically not “structural” - I’m very out of my depth here and may have the wrong terms.

None of this was picked up in the survey we had when we moved in almost 6 years ago.

i think that answers all the questions.

Oh and the walls effected are internal.

No such thing as rising damp,it’s a leak somewhere,
we found damp when we moved in,a big patch starting from the bottom,we ripped the flooring up that was there,turned out they had incorrectly fitted the front door,water was getting in underneath then going under the laminate,there is always a reason.

I Really think you should look at this seperately from your damp guys

Boarding out ?!
waterproof mortar ?!
ridiculous and dangerous suggestions

on a building that’s old neither of those are following basic understanding of allowing buildings to breath

Its the same as the ( forgive me) so called specialists telling people to install spray insulation 🥴

Think you should look at SPAB recommendations and
get some other views on this

I would also note older buildings are far more stable and able to cope with our environment than newer ones.
I think you’ll find the problem is
non breathable paint
glues and sealants
not enough ventilation
etc

Remove wall linings and paints, open the windows if it’s sunny in the day. use a dehumidifier at night.

Don’t spend ££££ on the word of one company and without doing your own research. Adopting the wrong methods can cause more harm than good

Remember. There is moisture everywhere in the air. If you block it out with waterproof materials where does it go, it back up and starts degrading the building.
Allow it to move through your building ..always.

OP I really advise you to do some searching on period property renovation forums.

There's lots of advice on there from trades people, craftsmen and experienced renovators.

Your mention of waterproof mortar made me doubt the advice you've received. Old buildings need to breathe and a huge amount of 'damp' in them is caused by them not being able to do so.

In my experience (16 period renovations) most damp boils down to condensation and 'breathing problems'. Airing old houses properly is essential - opening windows, especially when cooking and drying clothes indoors and a dozen other small changes can completely cure damp.

We had one property which we moved into the week before Christmas. It had been uninhabited for a year or more. On Christmas morning the windows and walls inside the house were running water. By just airing it - nothing else - we never had the problem again.

I totally agree with everything @Plantatreetoday said. Damp companies make money by selling commercial fixes - they won't make a penny by telling you to open windows.

"built on / using original walls from an old cottage which itself was built in the late 1800s. "

The oldest house I've renovated was built around 1700. The only damp needing treatment there was caused by a broken guttering causing water to run down the side of the house. I went up a ladder, fixed the guttering. Cost next to nothing.

There's no way you need to remortgage to solve your problems.

Currently in a 1430s house . Timber hall house on Norman solid stone and chalk with an under Croft and were as dry as a bone
we follow SPAB principles

Thanks for the backup @DiordreBarlow

I highly recommend this book
Written by SPAB scholars

The fixes from the company show that they are a shit company looking to profit. Old houses need lime rather than waterproof but actually a dehumidifier and other easy fixes sort most issues. I am no more likely to redo the house in lime than I am to tank it out when you can vent and dehumidify and do fine. You would know if you had a big issue.

Oh wow. Thank you for all of this.
the house doesn’t smell damp / feel damp although a damp meter on the walls shows well into the red zone.
I will do more research.
It does add to the feeling of being overwhelmed though. How do we know who we trust?

Trust your own nose and the evidence of your own eyes. Sort gutters and leaks and lets it breathe and you have it going in the right direction.

Feel liberated - your damp person was not a specialist.

I’d focus on reading around the subject
You may find you don’t need any professionals
Get a simple damp meter and check the walls
If the reading is high, air the rooms, dehumidify, are there water pipes that could be leaking ( have your meter readings suddenly risen)
Have you paved over the garden as this can affect external drainage
It will more than likely be a simple issue that you can sort out

The advice from the person you’ve had around is nonsense

Damp metres are nonsense as well. There’s no way of measuring damp. It’s a ludicrous suggestion.

To add to this- friend had a house and weird damp patches started showing up on different walls and the floor boards were a bit soft.

Took up some of the floorboards, found a lot of water. Combination of a leaking pipe and high groundwater. damp patches on the walls, some were condensation from the really wet house, and some were from outside gutter. she ran a dehumidifier constantly for weeks (drained directly into the sink) which lowered the humidity a bit and got a damp survey from someone who didn’t sell damp treatment and wouldn’t recommend any companies either.

I’d do more reading and investigating if you can and if not find someone who doesn’t sell damp treatment

Damp meters that have pins that you slightly put into walls are excellent ways of checking for localised damp issues
They are Used by architects and structural surveyors